Review: All The Haunts Be Ours: A Compendium Of Folk Horror Vol. 2 – An Academic Exploration of the Subgenre

When the argument comes to the relevancy and importance of physical media — one of my prime examples of why it’s still as important as ever, is the recent output of Severin Films. Of course, the boutique label still offers up your standard obscure genre releases you’d expect. But thanks to producer Kier-La Janisse their blu-ray box set output, which could simply be a collection of films with similar thematic tissue, have evolved into something much more. It is with that in mind, that I sat down with her latest work All the Haunts Be Ours Volume 2 – a sequel of sorts to a set that single handedly reinvigorated the folk horror subgenre.

The precursor set, All The Haunts Be Ours Volume 1, was a set crafted around Janisse’s four hour folk horror documentary – Woodlands Dark And Days Bewitched.  The documentary was a four-hour masterclass in the folk horror subgenre, that then armed the viewer with the necessary tools to properly view and appreciate the included films on the set. That for me is what I think really differentiates a Kier-La Janisse release, is not only the curation, but the utter complete and exhaustive context offered in the form of the special features, commentaries and extras to empower and allow the viewer to completely and thoroughly be able to grasp every aspect of the film she has placed before you.  

The film that truly made me appreciate this on Volume 2 in particular, was when I settled in for my viewing of the Japanese film – Bakeneko: A Vengeful Spirit. I felt like I personally was very familiar with J-horror, but by chance that night I decided to start my viewing off with the included featurette on Japanese ghost cat films Scratched – A History of the Japanese Ghost Cat. To say it was revelatory would be an understatement, while I’ve seen ghost cat films before, I don’t feel like I ever truly understood them and their place in Japanese cinema until that point and time. After viewing the doc, I felt like I not only understood the film’s patriarchal themes, but its cultural relevance in Folk Horror as a whole as well.  

Given this set has 24 films, from 18 countries, it’s those included extra flourishes of deep dive mini explorations of a particular theme or a cultural belief, that unlocks another level of understanding and enjoyment to the films. The fact that each film and its adjacent extras are then included on a disc and collected in a box set gives the collected works a relationship and permanency that at times elevates it onto an academic level. Now if you just want to watch a rock solid collection of folk horror bangers  —  you can do just that. Unlike some sets where we’re following a particular actor or director, the fact we are following a more broad theme allows a more consistent lineup of films. You also don’t necessarily need to watch all the extras to enjoy the films, but ignoring the wealth of extras is like buying a hamburger with everything on it, and just tossing the bun and fixins – and just eating the patty. 

I personally enjoyed all the films to various degrees, but no doubt enjoyed some more than others. My personal favorites early on were To Fire you Come at Last – a new film made just for this set that dug into Corpse Roads, roads that were specifically designated for moving the dead to their final resting place. The Enchanted, which was a weird and wonderful backwoods fairytale that took place in Florida of all places, Scales, a Saudi Arabian mermaid film and Nang Nak, a recent Thai feminist reinterpretation of an old legend. While I am a fan of genre, one thing I am endlessly fascinated by is how other countries then interpret these myths and legends, localizing them, applying their own regional beliefs and customs. Take for instance Scales, which uses mermaids as a metaphor for how women are treated in Saudi Arabian society, coupled with their particular flavor of mermaids. After I was finished the film it immediately sent me immediately to the bonus features to watch an illuminating interview with the filmmakers; that afterwards gave the film a much deeper and darker meaning.  

That’s just a tiny sample of the films included and the extras. I mean there’s also ANOTHER new doc on this set as well Suzzanna: The Queen Of Black Magic on “The Queen of Indonesian horror” an icon who starred in 42 films and whose reality was just as fascinating as the films she made. David Gregory, who was responsible for the excellent Enter the Clones of Bruce doc, now focuses his lens on yet another intriguing genre subject that more cinephiles should know about. I had missed this on the festival circuit, and was very happy it was collected here. These features and extras are also supplemented by a whole bevy of short films that allows each disc to be its own old school mini double bill. I think the inclusion of not just feature length films, but short films is something I think more labels should do, since it’s not just getting these films seen, but creating preservations of these titles that tend to disappear into obscurity after their festival run. 

Each film here is presented in the best possible HD master based on their respective sources, which slightly differs in quality as expected from film to film. No real quality issues stood out to me given the diversity of time and regions of these films, but even so, I don’t think most of these films would have seen a release had it not been for this box set. I know Who Fears the Devil in particular was originally planned as a Kino release, but while they gave up trying to untangle the rights, Severin persevered delivering a truly singular film that digs into Folk Horror via Appalachia. Most films are two to a disc and every bit of empty space on those 13 discs is packed to the gills with extras. This is all housed in a binder and goes into a very sturdy slip box along with a 252 page book of new folk horror stories made up to look like a little golden book. 

To be honest it’s been a wondrous journey of cinematic discovery digging through and exploring this set. Not only am I watching the films from regions I would normally seek out, but also seeing films that I may never have tracked down otherwise, and learning about both the subgenre and the regions the films are from. It’s the bonus of then having the ability to then dig further into the discs, and through the commentaries and extras better understand cultural nuances and thematic elements of the films – that elevates this set to an academic level. The fact that all of this is housed in a set makes this not only simply a collection of films but a continuation of a physical document of this subgenre. That in itself is like the second semester of an ongoing seminar series by Kier-La Janisse, that won’t vanish when the rights expire or a smaller streaming service is gobbled up by a bigger one. 

Full list of Extras:

DISC 1: 
TO FIRE YOU COME AT LAST (SEAN HOGAN, UK/USA, 2023)
PSYCHOMANIA (DON SHARP, UK, 1973)

SPECIAL FEATURES FOR TO FIRE YOU COME AT LAST

• Audio Commentary With Director Sean Hogan And Co-Producers Paul Goodwin And Nicholas Harwood
• On The Lych Way – Corpse Road Chronicler Dr. Stuart Dunn Discusses The Pathways Of The Dead
• Trailer

Short Films

• WE ALWAYS FIND OURSELVES IN THE SEA
• Audio Commentary For WE ALWAYS FIND OURSELVES IN THE SEA With Director Sean Hogan And Co-Producers Paul Goodwin And Nicholas Harwood
• EPK For WE ALWAYS FIND OURSELVES IN THE SEA
• OUR SELVES UNKNOWN

FEATURE SPECS FOR TO FIRE YOU COME AT LAST

• Runtime: 45 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.9:1
• Audio: English Stereo
• Closed Captions: English SDH
• Region: A/B/C

SPECIAL FEATURES FOR PSYCHOMANIA

• Introduction By Film Historian Chris Alexander
• Audio Commentary With Maria J. Pérez Cuervo, Founding Editor Of Hellebore Magazine
• Stone Warnings – Dr. Diane A. Rodgers On Stone Circles And Standing Stones In Film And Television
• Return Of The Living Dead – Interviews With Actors Nicky Henson, Mary Larkin, Denis Gilmore, Roy Holder And Rocky Taylor
• The Sound Of PSYCHOMANIA – Interview With Soundtrack Composer John Cameron
• Riding Free – Interview With “Riding Free” Singer Harvey Andrews
• Theatrical Trailer

FEATURE SPECS FOR PSYCHOMANIA

• Runtime: 91 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
• Audio: English Mono
• Closed Captions: English SDH
• Region: A/B/C

DISC 2: 
THE ENCHANTED (CARTER LORD, USA, 1984)
WHO FEARS THE DEVIL (JOHN NEWLAND, USA, 1972)

SPECIAL FEATURES FOR THE ENCHANTED

• Audio Commentary With Director Carter Lord And Camera Assistant Richard Grange, Moderated By Filmmaker/Author Kier-La Janisse
• Audio Commentary With Chesya Burke, Author Of Let’s Play White, And Sheree Renée Thomas, Author Of Nine Bar Blues
• A Magical Place – Interview With Composer Phil Sawyer
• Hole In The Wall – Character Notes By Screenwriter Charné Porter
• Trailer

Short Film

• SWIMMER

FEATURE SPECS FOR THE ENCHANTED

• Runtime: 90 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Audio: English Mono
• Closed Captions: English SDH
• Region: A/B/C

SPECIAL FEATURES FOR WHO FEARS THE DEVIL

• THE LEGEND OF HILLBILLY JOHN Alternate Opening Introduced By Actor Severn Darden
• Audio Commentary With Television Historian Amanda Reyes
• Crumble Will The Feet Of Clay – Interview With Producer Barney Rosenzweig
• Silver Strings – Interview With Actor/Musician Hedges Capers
• Manly Of The Mountains – Author David Drake Remembers Manly Wade Wellman
• Occult Appalachia – Occult Historian Mitch Horowitz On The Arcane Texts Of Wellman’s John The Balladeer Stories
• Theatrical Trailer

FEATURE SPECS FOR WHO FEARS THE DEVIL

• Runtime: 98 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Audio: English Mono
• Closed Captions: English SDH
• Region: A/B/C

DISC 3: 
THE WHITE REINDEER (ERIK BLOMBERG, FINLAND, 1952)
EDGE OF THE KNIFE (GWAAI EDENSHAW & HELEN HAIG-BROWN, CANADA, 2018)

SPECIAL FEATURES FOR THE WHITE REINDEER

• The Projection Booth Episode On THE WHITE REINDEER Hosted By Mike White And Featuring Kat Ellinger, Author of Daughters Of Darkness, And Talk Without Rhythm‘s El Goro

Short Films

• A WITCH DRUM
• THE NIGHTSIDE OF THE SKY
• WITH THE REINDEER

FEATURE SPECS FOR THE WHITE REINDEER

• Runtime: 68 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Audio: Finnish Mono
• Subtitles: English
• Region: A/B/C

SPECIAL FEATURES FOR EDGE OF THE KNIFE

• Audio Commentary With Directors Gwaai Edenshaw And Helen Haig-Brown
• RETAKE – Making The World’s First Haida-Language Feature Film

Short Films

• HAIDA CARVER
• NALUJUK NIGHT

FEATURE SPECS FOR EDGE OF THE KNIFE

• Runtime: 101 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Audio: Haida 5.1, Haida Stereo
• Subtitles: English
• Region: A/B/C

DISC 4: 
BORN OF FIRE (JAMIL DEHLAVI, UK, 1987)

SPECIAL FEATURES FOR BORN OF FIRE

• Igniting The Fire – Interview With Director Jamil Dehlavi
• The Silent One Speaks – Archival Interview With Actor Nabil Shaban
• Between The Sacred And The Profane – Archival Lecture On The Cinematic World Of Jamil Dehlavi By Dr. Ali Nobil Ahmad
• The Djinn Revisited – Director Dalia Al Kury Examines The Role Of The Djinn In Contemporary Arab Culture
• BORN OF FIRE And The Roots Of Pakistani Horror – Interview With Scholar Syeda Momina Masood
• Trailer

Short Films

• TOWERS OF SILENCE
• QÂF

FEATURE SPECS FOR BORN OF FIRE

• Runtime: 84 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Audio: English Mono
• Closed Captions: English SDH
• Region: A/B/C

DISC 5: 
IO ISLAND (KIM KI-YOUNG, SOUTH KOREA, 1977)
SCALES (SHAHAD AMEEN, SAUDI ARABIA, 2019)

SPECIAL FEATURES FOR IO ISLAND

• Audio Commentary With Archivist And Korean Film Historian Ariel Schudson
• Shaman’s Eyes – Dr. Hyunseon Lee On Shamanism In Korean Visual Culture

Short Film

• THE PRESENT

FEATURE SPECS FOR IO ISLAND

• Runtime: 112 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Audio: Korean Mono
• Subtitles: English
• Region: A/B/C

SPECIAL FEATURES FOR SCALES

• Telling Our Stories – A Conversation With Director Shahad Ameen And Producer Rula Nasser, Moderated By Filmmaker/Author Kier-La Janisse
• Trailer

Short Film

• KINDIL

FEATURE SPECS FOR SCALES

• Runtime: 76 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Audio: Arabic 5.1 Surround
• Subtitles: English
• Region: A/B/C

DISC 6: 
BAKENEKO: A VENGEFUL SPIRIT (YOSHIHIRO ISHIKAWA, JAPAN, 1968)
NANG NAK (NONZEE NIMIBUTR, THAILAND, 1999)

SPECIAL FEATURES FOR BAKENEKO: A VENGEFUL SPIRIT

• Audio Commentary With Jasper Sharp, Author Of Behind the Pink Curtain: The Complete History Of Japanese Sex Cinema
• Scratched – A History Of The Japanese Ghost Cat
• The Vampire Cat – The Classic Folk Tale Read By Tomoko Komura With Original Music By Timothy Fife
• Trailer

Short Film

• MAN-EATER MOUNTAIN

FEATURE SPECS FOR BAKENEKO: A VENGEFUL SPIRIT

• Runtime: 87 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Audio: Japanese Mono
• Subtitles: English
• Region: A

SPECIAL FEATURES FOR NANG NAK

• Audio Commentary With Mattie Do, Director Of THE LONG WALK, And Asian Gothic Scholar Katarzyna Ancuta
• Love And Impermanence: NANG NAK And The Rebirth Of Thai Cinema – Interview With Director Nonzee Nimibutr
• Trailer

FEATURE SPECS FOR NANG NAK

• Runtime: 101 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Audio: Thai 5.1, Thai Stereo
• Subtitles: English
• Region: A

DISC 7: 

SUNDELBOLONG (SISWORO GAUTAMA PUTRA, INDONESIA, 1981)
SUZZANNA: THE QUEEN OF BLACK MAGIC BLU-RAY (DAVID GREGORY, USA, 2024)

SPECIAL FEATURES FOR SUNDELBOLONG

• Hantu Retribution – Female Ghosts Of The Malay Archipelago

Short Film

• WHITE SONG

FEATURE SPECS FOR SUNDELBOLONG

• Runtime: 106 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Audio: Indonesian Mono
• Subtitles: English
• Region: A/B/C

SPECIAL FEATURES FOR SUZZANNA: THE QUEEN OF BLACK MAGIC

• A Conversation With Director/Co-Producer David Gregory And Co-Producer Ekky Imanjaya
• Trailer

FEATURE SPECS FOR SUZZANNA: THE QUEEN OF BLACK MAGIC

• Runtime: 88 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Audio: Indonesian Stereo
• Subtitles: English
• Region: A/B/C

DISC 8: 
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (JURAJ HERZ, CZECHOSLOVAKIA, 1978)
THE NINTH HEART (JURAJ HERZ, CZECHOSLOVAKIA, 1979)

SPECIAL FEATURES FOR BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

• Audio Commentary With Film Historian Michael Brooke
• Archival Interviews With Director Juraj Herz And Actors Vlastimil Harapes And Zdena Studenková

Short Film

• FRANTIŠEK HRUBÍN

FEATURE SPECS FOR BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

• Runtime: 91 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1
• Audio: Czech Mono
• Subtitles: English
• Region: A/B/C

SPECIAL FEATURES FOR THE NINTH HEART

• Audio Commentary With Kat Ellinger, Author Of Daughters Of Darkness
• The Uncanny Valley Of The Dolls – The History And Liminality Of Dolls, Puppets And Mannequins
• The Curious Case Of Juraj Herz And The Švankmajers – Video Essay By Czech Film Programmer Cerise Howard

FEATURE SPECS FOR THE NINTH HEART

• Runtime: 92 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Audio: Czech Mono
• Subtitles: English
• Region: A/B/C

DISC 9: 
DEMON (MARCIN WRONA, POLAND, 2015)
NOVEMBER (RAINER SARNET, ESTONIA/POLAND/NETHERLANDS, 2017)

SPECIAL FEATURES FOR DEMON

• Introduction By Slavic Horror Scholar Dr. Agnieszka Jeżyk
• Audio Commentary With Film Historian Daniel Bird And Film Critic/Actress Manuela Lazić
• In The Shadow Of The Dybbuk – Video Essay By Peter Bebergal, Author Of Strange Frequencies: The Extraordinary Story Of The Technological Quest For The Supernatural, And Filmmaker Stephen Broomer
• Trailer

Short Film

• DIBBUK

FEATURE SPECS FOR DEMON

• Runtime: 94 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Audio: Polish 5.1 Surround, Polish Stereo
• Subtitles: English
• Region: A/B/C

SPECIAL FEATURES FOR NOVEMBER

• The Supernatural Lore Of NOVEMBER – Archival Video Essay With Film Critic John DeFore
• Kratt Test Footage
• Theatrical Trailer

Short Films

• BOUNDARY
• JOURNEY THROUGH SETOMAA
• MIDVINTERBLOT

FEATURE SPECS FOR NOVEMBER

• Runtime: 115 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Audio: Estonian, German And Italian 5.1 Surround

Estonian, German And Italian Stereo

• Subtitles: English
• Region: A/B/C

DISC 10: 
LITAN (JEAN-PIERRE MOCKY, FRANCE, 1982)
BLOOD TEA AND RED STRING (CHRISTIANE CEGAVSKE, USA, 2006)

SPECIAL FEATURES FOR LITAN

• Audio Commentary With Film Historian Frank Lafond
• Un Tournage LITAN – Archival Making-Of Made For Antenne 2
• Jean-Pierre Mocky, Un Drôle D’Oiseau – 1982 Episode Of Temps X

FEATURE SPECS FOR LITAN

• Runtime: 88 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
• Audio: French Mono
• Subtitles: English
• Region: A/B/C

SPECIAL FEATURES FOR BLOOD TEA AND RED STRING

• Introduction By Director Christiane Cegavske
• 2021 Indie Scream Online Film Festival Q&A With Christiane Cegavske
• Production Stills And Concept Illustrations
• Trailer
• Trailer For SEED IN THE SAND, Cegavske’s Work-In-Progress

FEATURE SPECS FOR BLOOD TEA AND RED STRING

• Runtime: 70 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Audio: English Stereo
• Closed Captions: English SDH
• Region: A/B/C

DISC 11: 
NAZARENO CRUZ AND THE WOLF (LEONARDO FAVIO, ARGENTINA, 1975)
AKELARRE (PEDRO OLEA, SPAIN, 1984)

SPECIAL FEATURES FOR NAZARENO CRUZ AND THE WOLF

• Audio Commentary With Adrian Garcia Bogliano, Director Of HERE COMES THE DEVIL, And Nicanor Loreti, Director Of PUNTO ROJO

Short Film

• LOVE FROM MOTHER ONLY
• Audio Commentary For LOVE FROM MOTHER ONLY With Director Dennison Ramalho

FEATURE SPECS FOR NAZARENO CRUZ AND THE WOLF

• Runtime: 88 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Audio: Spanish Mono
• Subtitles: English
• Region: A/B/C

SPECIAL FEATURES FOR AKELARRE

• The Realistic Inquisition – Interview With Director Pedro Olea
• Empowered Woman – Interview With Actress Silvia Munt
• Playing The Villain – Interview With Actor Iñaki Miramón
• Invoking The Akelarre – Dr. Antonio Lázaro-Reboll, Author Of Spanish Horror Film, On The Basque Witch Trials

FEATURE SPECS FOR AKELARRE

• Runtime: 97 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
• Audio: Spanish Mono
• Subtitles: English
• Region: A/B/C

DISC 12: 
FROM THE OLD EARTH (WIL AARON, WALES, 1981)

SPECIAL FEATURES FOR FROM THE OLD EARTH BLU-RAY

• Introduction To FROM THE OLD EARTH By Musician Gruff Rhys
• Getting A Head In North Wales – Interview With Director Wil Aaron
• FROM THE OLD EARTH By The Book – Welsh Folklore And O’R DDAEAR HEN
• A Sword In The Battle Of Language – Welsh Film Scholar Dr. Kate Woodward On The Welsh Film Board

Short Films

• Introduction To BLOOD ON THE STARS By Gruff Rhys
• BLOOD ON THE STARS
• Reunion Hotel – BLOOD ON THE STARS Cast Reunion From Gwesty Aduniad
• THE WYRM OF BWLCH PEN BARRAS

FEATURE SPECS FOR FROM THE OLD EARTH BLU-RAY

• Runtime: 46 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Audio: Welsh Mono
• Subtitles: English
• Region: A/B/C

DISC 13: 
THE CITY OF THE DEAD (JOHN LLEWELLYN MOXEY, UK, 1960)
THE RITES OF MAY (MIKE DE LEON, PHILIPPINES, 1976)

SPECIAL FEATURES FOR THE CITY OF THE DEAD

• Introduction By Kay Lynch, Director Of The Salem Horror Fest
• Audio Commentary With Film Historians Kim Newman And Barry Forshaw
• Archival Audio Commentary With Film Historian Jonathan Rigby
• Archival Audio Commentary With Actor Christopher Lee
• Archival Audio Commentary With Director John Llewellyn Moxey
• Sir Christopher Lee Remembers THE CITY OF THE DEAD
• Archival Interview With John Llewellyn Moxey
• Archival Interview With Actress Venetia Stevenson
• Burn Witch, Burn! A Tribute To John Llewellyn Moxey – Video Essay By TV Historian Amanda Reyes And Filmmaker Chris O’Neill
• Trailer

FEATURE SPECS FOR THE CITY OF THE DEAD

• Runtime: 78 Minutes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
• Audio: English Mono
• Closed Captions: English SDH
• Region: A/B/C

SPECIAL FEATURES FOR THE RITES OF MAY

• Audio Commentary With Filipino Film Historian Andrew Leavold
• ITIM: AN EXPLORATION IN CINEMA – Archival Documentary
• Portrayal Of Guilt – Filipino Film Scholar Anne Frances N. Sangil On The Darkness Of THE RITES OF MAY

FEATURE SPECS FOR THE RITES OF MAY

Region: A/B/C

Runtime: 107 Minutes

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Audio: Tagalog Mono

Subtitles: English